Benefits:

Fully automatic creation and updating of accounts

Once Salamander is set up you will no longer need to manually create and update accounts, saving a huge amount of time during the year. It will run throughout the year handling new arrivals and leavers without you having to manually get involved.

No more requests by school administration staff and pupils to update the network

As the school administrative staff update the school management system, the changes will be automatically reflected within your network. Your network will be up to date and reflecting the school management system with no further effort on your part.

Fully configurable to your needs

Every aspect of how Salamander updates Active Directory can be configured to exactly how you want it. You do not need modify your Active Directory and network to fit in with it.

An easier start to the year

In September or before if they are already in the school administration system, all the new pupils will be automatically given accounts in Active Directory, saving you from having to do the job. They will have the resources they require from day one, without you having to set them up.

No more manually finding and removing leavers

As pupils and staff leave the school their account and their home folder can be automatically archived. No more manually trawling through Active Directory and the home folders to find the leavers. Salamander never deletes accounts and home folders in case the school administrator makes an error in the school management system.

Features:

Configured on your rules

Salamander Active Directory can be used with almost any Active Directory setup. You can have your Active Directory exactly how you want it.

Management of Pupil and Staff Accounts

Pupils and Staff members are automatically created in Active Directory and kept up to date. Salamander can update any of the fields within Active Directory. New users can have their passwords set to whatever you want and be forced to change them on first login or be set so that it cannot be changed. In addition Salamander can create their home folders with configurable permissions, share the home folders if required and create Microsoft Exchange mailboxes. As the users information is changed in your school MIS, the information in Active Directory is automatically updated.

Leavers

Leavers can be disabled in Active Directory so that they cannot log in. In addition they can be moved to an "Archive" Organisational Unit and their home folders can also be archived. Salamander never deletes anything so leaving is always reversible.

Creation of parental accounts

Salamander can create parental accounts if used by your VLE and link them to your pupils' accounts. The full range of options is available for creating the accounts.

Extract from multiple data sources

Salamander can extract data from many different data sources. This includes all the main UK MIS systems (Sims, Facility CMIS, Integris, Phoenix Gold), any standard database, CSV files and XML files. The file option is particularly handy for temporary users who will not be entered into your MIS system, simply put their data in a file and they will be set up exactly the same as all your other users with no further effort.

Active Directory attributes

Salamander can update all Active Directory attributes. They can be set to data extracted from your MIS system, fixed values or a combination of the two.

Groups

Salamander can create and mail enable groups as well as adding users to existing groups within your Active Directory hierarchy.

Class Groups

Salamander can create and maintain Active Directory groups based on your classes and teaching groups within your MIS systems.

Enable and Disable accounts

Salamander can enable and disable Active Directory accounts.

Password settings

Salamander can set user passwords based on data extracted from your MIS e.g. date of birth, or create a random password and log it - to a file, database, email or all of these. Salamander can also set the options to force users to change their password at next log on, set the password to never expire and set it so that the user cannot change it.

Directory Management

Salamander can automatically create home folders with the required Windows permissions and share them if required. Leavers can have their home folders moved to an archive location and have their shares deleted. Salamander can also copy directories, useful if reworking your network.

Microsoft Exchange Integration

Salamander can automatically create Exchange accounts for your users with email addresses based on your rules. Works with Exchange 2003, 2007 and 2010. In addition to creating mailboxes Salamander can maintain Exchange attributes for a user such as mailbox limits and sending restrictions. It can also optionally write the email addresses back to Sims.

Timetable to Exchange/Outlook Calendars

Salamander can automatically put your users' timetables into Exchange so they know where they should be at all times.

Live Communications Server & Lync Integration

Salamander can set up the user's Live Communications Server and Lync settings.

Photos into Active Directory

Salamander can save the user's photos into Active Directory. Combined with the ability of Exchange 2010 and Lync to show them, it makes for a great user experience.

Filters

Salamander can be set up to only process a subset of your pupils and staff. This is ideal for initial testing. In addition, the set to use can be set in the future to get ready for the next academic year in advance.

Automated Process

Salamander is a fully automated process meaning that once installed you will not need to enter your new arrivals again.

Manual integration

Salamander Active Directory can be run manually whenever you need to.

Configurable scheduling

Schedule the integration as often or a little as you like, at times which suits your network.

Full reporting

Salamander logs every action it takes. It can be configured to save log files exactly where you want them and can even email logs to you. The logging is built on top of the popular log4net logging framework allowing you to extend the logging to other areas as well.